In Chincoteague, VA, they have an annual swim of the half wild ponies on Assatigue Island to Chincoteague Island. The pony herd is managed by the volunteer fire department. The day after the swim they auction off a lot of the new ponies and fund the fire department. I was told this is the richest vol. FD in the country. They always do the swim at slack tide, either high or low tide when the water is about to change flow direction. They did not do the usual swim, carneval, and public auction because of Covid this year. Instead it was an on line auction and I saw a headline that it was the most profitable auction ever held. The men mostly call themselves salt water cowboys. They thin the herd to prevent habitat destruction and provide veteranary services.
Last week I heard an odd stat -- that there are more horse in the US now than there were during the Civil War.